The Arkansas defense is often overlooked in matchups as teams tend to focus on their offense. They gave up an average of nearly 23 points per game this season, but that number is exaggerated by the 65 point mark that Auburn put on the Razorbacks. Take out the Auburn game and the average is down to about 19 per game, which is respectable considering the numbers their offense puts up.
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| Arkansas' defense has improved since losses to Alabama and Auburn |
Rush Defense: Rush defense is not the strength of the Arkansas defense. The Razorbacks finished 10th in the SEC, giving up 157 yards per game. That number gets even worse when you take out the home games, rising to 177 yards per game. In Arkansas’ two losses this year, to Alabama and Auburn, they gave up 278.5 yards per game and 8 rushing touchdowns.
This could be a major issue for the Razorbacks. Ohio State loves to run the ball and control the clock while Arkansas will want to get the ball back to its high-powered offense. If the Buckeye defense can shut down the Arkansas pass game, the Razorback defense could tire quickly if Ohio State pounds them with the running game.
What the Razorbacks lacked in stopping the run, they made up for it by being opportunistic. They recovered 14 fumbles throughout the season, all of them in victories.
Expect the Buckeyes to come out running and look to take advantage of the play-action pass after establishing the ground game.
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| Safety Jerico Nelson leads a secondary hungry for interceptions |
Pass Defense: Pass defense has not troubled the Razorbacks too much this season. They finished 4th in the SEC in pass defense at 182 yards per game. Arkansas has only allowed 11 pass touchdowns compared to 19 rushing touchdowns and the pass touchdowns were spread pretty evenly throughout the wins and losses.
Arkansas was much more successful as a team when they forced their opponents to pass the ball. In their two losses when they gave up big numbers in the running game, their opponents passed the ball just 20 times per game compared to 27 times in games that the Razorbacks won.
The Buckeyes should end up closer to the 20 passes per game if they want to beat an SEC team in a bowl game for the first time. If the Buckeyes have to start passing the ball, it means they are playing from behind, and it will test Terrelle Pryor’s quarterbacking skills.
The Razorbacks have intercepted opposing quarterbacks 11 times this season. They will test Pryor and whether or not he can hold on to the ball and not make any mistakes. This could be his last game until October so he should come out ready to play, hopefully looking to make amends to Buckeye Nation for the mistakes he’s made that have come out in the past few weeks.
It will be interesting to see how Arkansas lines up on defense. They have two base defenses, a 4-2-5 with five defensive backs, and a more traditional 4-3 defense. If they line up in the 4-2-5, the Buckeyes should look to run the ball and overpower the smaller lineup. If they are in the 4-3, tight end Jake Stoneburner could have a big game going up against a less athletic linebacker.
Special Teams: True freshman Zach Hocker has been one of the top kickers in the SEC and the country this season. Hocker has hit on 13 of 16 field goals with a long of 51. Hocker has been solid for Arkansas and should put points on the board if the offense stalls within the 30-35 yard line.
Arkansas punter Dylan Breeding and his coverage unit will look to continue their excellent season against Jordan Hall and the Buckeyes. Breeding has averaged 42.4 yards per punt and the coverage team has held returners to just over 5 yards per return.
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| Joe Adams will test the Buckeyes' punt coverage |
Ohio State’s punt coverage will get tested by Joe Adams. Adams has averaged nearly 18 yards per return, along with returning one of his 14 returns to the house.
The Razorbacks’ success on punt returns has not been able to translate to kick returns. They cannot seem to find a guy to rely on, as 10 players have returned at least one kick, averaging 19.6 yards on returns. They seem to have settled on redshirt freshman Lance Ray, a speedy wide receiver, who has averaged 22.5 yards per return. He could test a Buckeye kick coverage unit that has been shaky at times but has been solid since the Wisconsin game.
Arkansas’ success covering punts also has not translated to kickoff coverage. Arkansas’ opponents have averaged 25 yards per return and have returned one kickoff for a touchdown. Jordan Hall has shown he can break one off with his 85-yard touchdown against Michigan and Jaamal Berry also has the ability to make a play any time the ball is in his hands.
Overview: The Arkansas defense is going to have to make some plays if they want any chance to win this game. If the Buckeyes do not turn the ball over, there is a good chance they will control the clock and keep Ryan Mallett and the explosive Razorback offense off the field. Whether or not Arkansas wins will depend on their defense making stops early in drives and getting the ball back to their offense. If the defense cannot stop the Buckeye run game, it will tire and the Razorbacks will wish they never made the trip to New Orleans.
